I don’t vote in the two polls that make up two-thirds of the BCS standings — the coaches poll and the Harris poll. But I do a weekly ranking, of all 120 FBS teams, on our website. And it is something I take seriously. It’s not rocket science, but it does take some time to sort through every team and determine where they should be ranked based on which teams they beat (and when they beat them) and which teams they lost to (and when they lost).

Vanderbilt’s hot start has made national news. The Commodores, fresh off a dominating 30–7 win over Ole Miss, are 3–0 under first-year head coach James Franklin.

But despite the epic struggles this program has endured over the past five decades, this is not uncharted territory for Vanderbilt football. In fact, this is the third time in the past seven years the Commodores have opened a season with a 3–0 mark — something that only 31 of the other 119 FBS programs can claim.